


Goth Dad and His Yee-Haw Son

by OwlPippin



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwatch, Deadlock Gang, Gen, Team Talon (Overwatch), The father/son fic ive always wanted, Young Jesse McCree, reaper is a good dad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-08-09 16:36:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16453502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OwlPippin/pseuds/OwlPippin
Summary: Gabriel Reyes gets a call and finds out he has a son he never knew about. His previous care-takers have passed away and now he is the only family he has left.orThe one where Reaper is McCree's Dad





	1. Custody

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so, a little backstory on why I'm writing this fic. I started too actually play Overwatch earlier this year and I main Reaper (and Brigitte and Mercy). I started getting into the lore and looking at a ton of fan art. One piece in particular had McCree with a shaved beard and he looked just like Gabriel Reyes (the art in question is by fed-red on tumblr). And tbh I just really like the idea of Reaper being a dad when he was younger. This will follow the lore where they have the war with the Omnics, McCree in the Deadlock Gang, Blackwatch, the fall of Overwatch, and of course when Reaper joins Team Talon. It's going to be a very emotional ride for me and for you readers.  
> It's been forever since I wrote a multi-chapter fic, so please let me know if I can improve stuff in my writing or if I get any lore incorrect. 
> 
> Lastly, Thank you very much for giving this a read! I have a wacky school and work schedule so the updates will not be regular. Sorry!

Gabriel Reyes knew he probably shouldn’t have taken custody of him. After all, he was a drunken, one night stand child. College parties were wild. However, as soon as he looked into the eyes of little Jesse, the twenty-seven year old soldier fell in love. The lady at the foster home asked if he wanted to put his own last name for the child. Gabriel shook his head.  
“My name is good for nothing. Let him have his mother’s name,” he said in a voice that sounded way too old for how he was. The lady nodded and handed over the adoption papers and Jesse’s birth certificate. The dark skinned man took the papers and picked Jesse up. His eyes were bright seeing how cool his new dad looked, but he was also intimidated by the scars and his voice. Fatherhood might actually be kind of fun, he thought as young Jesse McCree smiled up at him and took his hand. 

Jesse McCree was ten months old when his mother died from an overdose and six years when his maternal grandparents passed. That’s why Gabriel was called. It was a miracle that the baby was found before he starved. The neighbors heard him crying and didn’t think anything of it until a few hours later when the crying still had not ceased. Luckily his grandparents took him in after his mother’s body was found and raised him. But they were old and didn’t last long. So, after they passed, Jesse was introduced into the foster system. The foster system had searched high and low for his father and finally did a DNA test finding that matched with a man known by the military as Soldier 24. 

Thankfully the team Gabriel was part of gave him some parental leave to take care of Jesse and set up a nanny and school. Gabriel was also thankful to have his friend and comrade, Jack Morrison to help out when he could. It wasn’t just any team. Gabriel was part of a team that would become super soldiers. That’s where he met Jack, also known as Soldier 76. He was about as American as you could get. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a commendable (yet sometimes annoying) sense of justice. He was kind of like Captain America in a sense. Now, however, the Omnic Crisis was beginning. Gabriel really couldn’t afford to leave Overwatch as it were, especially since he was in the Strike Force along with Jack and a few others. Ana Amari was one of them. She was what people would call the “Team Mom”, but she was also a mother to the one-year old Fareeha. Then of course there was “The Dwarf”. Torbjorn Lindholm. Brilliant inventor and engineer. He was exceptional. Reinhardt Wilhelm was the muscle of the team. He was huge, even when he wasn’t wearing his armor. Last but not least on the Strike Force was Liao. He didn’t talk much, so no one on the team knew much about him. That didn’t affect their teamwork, however. But that’s enough about the team. Because now, not only was he trying to fight a war, he had to raise a child. 

The one problem Gabriel had immediately was that his apartment was a one bedroom. While he liked having his room to himself, he knew he couldn’t just let his kid sleep on the couch. That was borderline child abuse. At least that’s what he thought. So, while Gabriel was with Jesse, Jack was at his friend’s apartment converting the one bedroom to a kid’s room. And with the cash Gabriel had given Jack, he bought a pull out couch and got rid of the other couch in the apartment. The dark skinned soldier just hoped it would be mostly ready by the time he got home. 

“Um,” sounded a small voice with a heavy southern drawl. The older man looked in his rearview mirror to look at Jesse. “So are you really my dad?” Gabriel froze for a moment at the word ‘Dad’. He never saw himself as the fatherly type, but now…

“Yeah,” he responded. “At least according to these papers I am. But you don’t have to call me Dad if you don’t want to.”

“Well then, if I don’t call ya Dad, then what do I call ya? Mister Reyes?”

Gabriel chuckled at that. “No no, Mister Reyes is my father. You can call me Gabe. If you want that is.”

“Oh, alrighty then Gabe.” Jesse smiled and adjusted the red handkerchief around his neck. The boy was wearing a flannel button down shirt, stone washed blue jeans, and cowboy boots. It was pretty darn cute, Gabriel thought. 

“Seems you’re missing an accessory to look like a cowboy, chico. You got a hat in one of your bags?” he tried to make conversation with the child. It would be a long drive home, so he thought it would be best to get to know the kid he’d be raising. 

Jesse shook his head. “No. I ain’t got a hat. Grampa said he’d get me a new one for Christmas, but…” he trailed off, a sad look in his eyes.Gabriel instantly felt bad for bringing it up, but it at least gave him an idea. He pulled over to the side of the road and put on the hazard lights. The soldier took out his phone and typed in navigation directions to the nearest hat shop. An hour away. He guessed people didn’t go to hat stores very often. As he put the phone in a cup holder, he felt a strange pain in his shoulder. Normally he’d get it in his leg. The doctors at his base seemed to think it was a side effect of the Super Soldier conditioning process and that he’d be over it soon. He wasn’t so sure. 

“Why’d we stop? Somethin’ wrong?” Jesse inquired. Damn this kid is smart, Gabriel thought. 

“Just getting directions. Any half decent cowboy needs a hat. It’ll be about an hour until we get there, though. Think you can handle it?” He turned around to face the boy with a smirk on his face. Jesse’s eyes lit up immediately. 

“I can absolutely handle it! But are you sure you want to do that? We just met. Basically strangers…”

“Strangers, huh? Well I don't think we are. You are my son, after all.” The word ‘son’ felt foreign coming from Gabriel’s mouth. He knew he’d get used to it eventually, but now...well it was weird. But the smile on Jesse’s face when he said it, that was worth everything. 

“Well then thank you kindly,” Jesse said, excitement evident. 

“Saddle up, buckaroo,” Gabriel saiad. “We’ve got a long journey ahead of us.” Jesse giggled at that as the soldier turned his blinker on and merged back onto the highway. 

Meanwhile, back at Gabriel’s apartment, Jack was unpacking the pull out couch. There was way too much plastic wrap for him. It was a simple dark grey color and it was long enough without pulling the bed out for an adult to lay down. Jack was three years younger than Gabriel at twenty-four years old. However, they both entered the Super Soldier Program around the same time and had since become friends. Hearing the news that Gabriel was going to take custody of a child surprised Jack greatly, but he promised to help out however he could. So, how he helped now was preparing the apartment for a child to live in. That meant moving the small gun safe out of the bedroom and into another part of the apartment that a child would not get to. Gabriel never used the guns in that safe, but they were a set of four Hellfire Shotguns that were left to Gabriel by his father when he died. 

To someone who could appreciate aesthetics of weapons, they were a beautiful sleek black with silver details along the barrel and handle. Jack had only seen them once before and was in total awe that he owned such beautiful weapons.

The blonde man took a look around the apartment to make sure it was childproof. It was. Satisfied, he took the boxes from the furniture and went downstairs to put them in the dumpster. After that he went back up to Gabriel’s apartment, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and sat on the new couch to wait for him to come back with a kid. 

A few hours later, Gabriel had arrived home with Jesse. A couple suitcases of clothes in hand and Jesse walking behind tipping his new hat at anything he saw. Jack stood up when he heard the door open. 

“Hey, welcome back,” Jack said. He turned his gaze down to the child dressed as a cowboy. “And welcome to your new home.”

“The place looks great, Jack. Thanks,” Gabriel said, taking a look around. “This is Jesse. Jesse, say hello to your Uncle Jack.”

“Nice to meet ya Uncle Jack!” Jesse said cheerily while tipping his hat. Jack gave a look to Gabriel that seemed to ask Uncle? Nonetheless, he smiled at Jesse. 

“Pleasure to meet you as well.” Jack bent down and shook Jesse’s hand. “I like your hat.”

“Thank you kindly. Gabe got it for me on the way here!”

“Oh did he now? That certainly was nice of him.”

“Mhm! He is super nice even though he looks mean and scary.”

At that, both soldiers began laughing. The three spent the rest of the day unpacking Jesse’s things and showing him around the apartment. They ended up ordering a pizza for dinner. After dinner, Jack left and Jesse asked if they could watch a movie. Which they did. Just Jesse and Gabe. The movie chosen was called The Warrior’s Way. It was old. All the way back in 2010 did it come out. Gabriel was shocked that this little kid knew about it, but brushed it off. It was a good movie. Assassin turned cowboy. Jesse, however, fell asleep halfway through the movie. Gabriel of course carried him to the bedroom and tucked him in.

“This parenting stuff isn’t half bad,” he said to himself. 

This was the beginning of their lives together as father and son.


	2. Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jesse and Baby Fareeha play make-believe

It’s been two months of adjusting to his new life with Jesse. The kid was fun loving and always wanted to play Cowboys and Bandits and watch ancient western shows. They weren’t really Ancient, but they were extremely old. Shows like Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Annie Oakley, Deadwood, and a few others. Some were so old that they were in Black and White. 

Whenever Gabriel had missions with the Strike Force, Jesse would stay at Overwatch HQ until his return. Thankfully, those mission would only last a few days at the most. Each time, however, Gabriel would come back with new injuries. Each one looking worse than the last. The scars made him look tougher though and that alone was the coolest thing to Jesse. Yes, he was scared that he’d be alone again everytime Gabriel went on a mission, but Jesse was also the reason why Gabriel fought so hard. He had someone to protect. And Jesse was never alone at the Overwatch base. Baby Fareeha was there too. He’d play with her when he could, but since she was a baby, he got bored pretty quickly. After the first mission Jesse stayed, Gabriel suggested moving the two of them to the base dorms as Ana had with Fareeha. Soon, they had their own space. It was smaller than the apartment, but the father and son duo made do with the space provided. 

On this particular day, Jesse was playing with Fareeha, a grunt soldier watching over them. The children were playing a made up game called Rescue the Princess. It was a game Jesse decided to play because “Girls don’t like cowboys, so it’s only fair to do princess stuff sometimes.” The soldier in charge of the children was touched by the young boy’s thoughtfulness to the baby and played along as the evil sorcerer. The ‘castle’ where the Princess Fareeha was being held captive was her crib. The Noble Prince Jesse had just defeated Dark Witch Harlow when Gabriel and Ana walked into the room. The scene before the two exhausted adults was little Jesse holding Fareeha while standing on the back of the babysitting soldier. 

“What on Earth is going on here?” Ana asked, an amused smile on her lips. Gabriel chuckled softly beside her, his arms crossed over his chest. 

“I saved the princess!” Jesse triumphantly announced, a wide grin spread across his face. It was a little goofy as he was missing two teeth. 

“Good job, mijo,” Gabriel praised. “But you should get off Officer Harlow now.”

Jesse was about to protest, but he saw the tiredness in his father’s eyes and nodded. He carefully stepped off and handed Ana her baby. He thanked the officer as she stood. 

“Any time, partner,” she said in her best southern accent. Jesse laughed at her attempt and waved goodbye, taking his father’s hand, and walked to their own room. Gabriel had already been patched up by the medics before showing up to get Jesse, so when they arrived in their room, he collapsed on his bed with a sigh. 

Jesse had crawled onto Gabriel’s bed as well and sat against the wall to give his father some space. 

“How was the mission, Gabe?” he asked, excited to hear the heroics of the Strike Team. The young boy didn’t know how horrible the missions actually turned out. People dying all around the small Strike Force. It was haunting. But it was also war and someone had to do it. Instead of telling the child the hard truth, Gabe turned the missions into fairy tales of adventure and heroism. He explained the actual mission in as little detail as possible and adding in the fluff to make it sound nicer. Jesse’s eyes had stars in them the whole time. When he was done, he took Jesse’s hat off his head and ruffled his hair. 

“Alright kiddo, get your pj’s on. I asked the cook to bring us dinner. You know what tomorrow is,” he said. 

“Sunday?”

“Yup. School shopping day.” Jesse groaned at that. 

“Why can’t I just stay here? I bet I can learn a lot and be a cool soldier like you instead!”

“Well all soldiers need to go to school first. Besides, it’s the law that I have to enroll you in school. You don’t want to play with a baby all the time, right? Make some friends your age.”

“I guess…”

“You’ve gone to school before. Same thing, just new people. Plus you’ve got me now.” Gabriel smiled at Jesse. 

“But what if they tease me? I was at my last school for m’accent an how I dress. What’s so wrong with being a cowboy?” Tears formed at the corners of the young boy’s eyes. Gabriel’s own eyes widened at the boy. He hadn’t known that at all. The soldier sat up, albeit slowly as he was sore. 

“Jesse,” he started. “There is nothing wrong with being a cowboy. And there is nothing wrong with your accent.” Gabriel then pulled the child into a hug. Probably only their second one while Jesse was in his care. 

“You are great. Don’t let anybody tell you any different. As for dressing like a cowboy at school, unfortunately the closest school has a uniform. And the dress code is strict. I’m sorry mijo, it’s the best I could do with our situation.” 

Jesse sniffled against Gabriel’s chest. A uniform he wasn’t too keen on, but at least no one would make fun of his clothes. 

“What about my accent?”

“If anyone teases you for your accent, you just brush them off, okay? If they keep going, tell a teacher. If they still don’t stop, then I give you permission to punch them in the stomach. But don’t let it get that far in the first place, got it?”

“Got it,” he said. Jesse looked up at his father, eyes red. “Thanks dad.” 

Gabriel was taken aback by being called dad, but he didn’t show it. He knew he wasn’t there for Jesse up until a month before so he didn’t expect to really be called Dad. That word enough, however, was enough to bring this grown man to tears. Except he didn’t cry. He just smiled and planted a kiss on his son’s head. 

“You’re welcome, Jesse. Now get your pajamas on. Food will be here soon and we’ve got a lot to do tomorrow.” 

Jesse nodded and scrambled off Gabriel’s bed. He made his way over to hown dresser and pulled out his pajamas that had horses on them. Quickly the little boy changed. As if on cue, the food had arrived thanks to the cook as soon as Jesse had finished. 

Gabriel stood from his bed and walked over to meet the cook. He thanked him, took the food, and closed the door. That night’s dinner was refried beans, brown rice, steamed broccoli, and Texas Toast. Fairly simplistic, but it was food nonetheless. There was a small card table in the back corner of the room that Gabriel set up the food. While Jesse would have rather had tacos, he knew that this was something he had to eat. 

“Why do we never get fun food to eat?” Jesse asked. Gabriel knew the child wasn’t complaining because Jesse was eating the food without question. 

“Because that ‘Fun’ food is bad for you. And when you’re in a war, you don’t really get to have fun foods. We have to ration it out sometimes. Especially here.We have to make sacrifices so the normal citizens can live freely and happy. That includes food,” the soldier explained. Jesse looked up at him, half a stalk of broccoli still in his mouth. 

“Opay,” he said. 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, kiddo,” Gabriel chuckled. They ate mostly in silence. When they were finished, Gabriel tossed the paper plates and plastic cutlery into the trash. He then took off his shirt, boots, pants, and black beanie, folded it all neatly, and got into bed. “Light’s out soon, mijo.” 

“Can I go say goodnight to Fareeha?” Jesse asked. 

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate that. Go ahead, but don’t stay too long. Curfew is in ten minutes. Have Ana bring you back.”

“Okay!” With that, Jesse put on his slippers and dashed out the door. Ana Amari’s room was just on the other end of the hall, so it wasn’t too far. Once there, he knocked on the door. Ana answered a moment later. 

“Jesse, how nice to see you again. Did you forget something?” she asked. Jesse shook his head. 

“Nope! Just wanted to say goodnight to Fareeha. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is, come on in, quickly.”

Jesse dashed in and made a beeline to Fareeha’s crib. He peeked over the top while standing on the tip of his toes. 

“Goodnight m’lady.” He made the motion of tipping a hat. The baby stared blankly at Jesse, but he smiled anyway. He turned back to Ana. “Gabe said to have you bring me back.”

“Of course he did. Alright, come on Jesse. I’ll bring you back,” Ana replied with a smile. She gave a light laugh figuring Gabriel was already in his underwear ready to fall asleep. She escorted Jesse back and quickly returned to her own room, not wanting to leave Fareeha alone for too long having already been apart for a few days. 

A few minutes later, Jesse McCree was tucked into bed and soon fell asleep. Gabriel was exhausted from the last few days and knew he had hectic Dad Stuff to do in the coming days as well, so as soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep. 

 

The next morning was a little hectic trying to leave. Gabriel overslept so they had to rush to get ready, eat their breakfast, and leave. The whole day was spent getting school supplies. Pencils, pens, a tablet, backpack, you name it, they got it. Gabriel made sure that Jesse had everything he needed for his first day of school the next day. Uniform included, of course. Jesse hated how it felt on his skin. He was obviously uncomfortable. His father felt sorry for him, but they both knew that it was a necessary evil of going to school. At the end of the day, Gabriel felt even more exhausted than when he came back from his mission with Overwatch. 

Thankfully, Jesse was tired too. They stopped to get fast food on their way back to the base, to Jesse’s delight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this one and imagining a little McCree playing Save the Princess with Pharah. I like to think they'd be good friends in their youth. Thank you for reading the second chapter! I'll have the next one ready and posted next week, but it's more of a half chapter. 
> 
> Kudos and Comments are appreciated!


	3. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> education for Jesse

Monday morning gabriel woke Jesse up at precisely 0700 hours to get ready. School started at 0830 and they had to get ready. Jesse, unused to waking up that early slowly put on his uniform and struggled a little with the clip on tie. Thankfully, Gabriel had finished dressing by the time jesse got to his tie. He chuckled softly and helped him with it. 

“I’m still sleepy…” Jesse stated while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

“I know, chico. Let’s get you some breakfast once you brush your teeth.”

“Mkay…”

Before they left, Gabriel took a last check to make sure that Jesse had everything he needed in his schoolbag before the two left their room. The soldier carried the bag on one shoulder and held Jesse’s hand with his other arm as they walked to the commissary. Thankfully, Breakfast had been made. Few people were up this early. Among them were Jack, Reinhardt, and Liao. They sat at the same table, two extra trays already there for the father/son duo. Steam rose from the trays, indicating they were still warm. Gabriel took a spot next to the German man while Jesse sat next to his Uncle Jack on the opposite side of the table. 

“Hey kiddo,” Jack said, ruffling Jesse’s hair a little. 

“Good morning young McCree!” Reinhardt’s voice rang in the commissary. He called most people by their last names yet insisted to be called by his first. Liao just nodded to the boy. Jesse nodded back and smiled at the other two men while fixing his hair. 

“Excited for your first day of school?” Jack inquired while taking a bite of his omelette. Jesse scarfed down a few bites of his oatmeal. 

“Yeah, but I’m also a little nervous.” He looked to Gabriel. “What if they don’t like me?” 

“BAH!” Reinhardt exclaimed. “Anyone who doesn’t like you isn’t worth your time anyway.” Reinhardt then took a long drink from his coffee cup. 

“He’s right,” said another voice with a thick Swedish accent. A short and stout man joined the group with his own tray of food. “If they don’t like ya, that’s their problem.” The Dwarf slammed his fork into his pile of eggs. Jesse noticed that Torbjorn’s eggs were drizzled with ketchup, which he found gross. The young boy smiled at the adults and thanked them for their encouragement. They continued eating. 

A few minutes later, when they had finished their breakfast, it was time to leave.   
When they arrived at the school, tears struggled to keep from falling down Jesse’s face. He was intimidated and scared. He didn’t want Gabriel to leave. 

“Do you really have to go?” Jesse asked, squeezing his father’s hand. “You could stay with me all day.”

“Sorry Jess, but I have stuff to do, and you have things to learn and friends to make. I’ll see you at three, okay?” He had crouched down to look Jesse in the eyes and wipe away the stray tears. Jesse nodded after a moment. “There’s a good kid. You gotta be tough, okay? No more crying.” 

“Okay…” Parents and children alike were filing into the school building. Cheerful faces on them all. Gabriel was about to stand when Jesse wrapped his arms around the soldier. After a short moment, Gabriel did the same to the young boy. It was their first hug in the two months they had lived together. It warmed Gabriel’s heart and he thought, Maybe i am doing something right. 

“I’ll see you later,” he said after their father-son embrace ended. Jesse wiped his eyes and smiled at Gabriel. 

“See you later, Dad.” Gabriel couldn’t help but smile back at the boy. He then gestured to Jesse that it was time for him to go inside. The boy took the hint and began to walk inside. He stopped just short of the doorway, turned, and waved at Gabriel one last time before entering the school. 

“He’ll be alright,” Gabriel said to himself. He stayed until the bell rang and then left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank for reading my half chapter! it was my favorite chapter to write thus far. Please feel free to comment and kudos!


	4. Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse's Tenth Birthday Party had everything. Cake, laser tag, pizza, friends, presents, but most of all it had his father going on a mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was so short for this update. I'll make up for it in the next chapter I promise!

A final chorus sounded and Jesse blew out the candles on his birthday cake. He was ten years old now. A few children sat around the table with Jesse at the helm in front of his chocolate cake. Standing off to the side of the children were Jesse’s father, Jack, Reinhardt, Torbjorn, Ana (who was holding her daughter in her arms), and Liao. A few parents of the other children were there as well, chatting away. 

When the flames from the candles were out, Gabriel walked over and began to cut the cake. As he did so, Fareeha began fussing and trying to get away from her mother. Her little hands were grabbing at the air in the direction of Jesse. The young boy looked over and nodded at Ana, who then set Fareeha on the ground. The little girl giggled as she waddled over to Jesse. He picked her up and sat her on his lap. 

“Ha happy birfday Jesse,” Fareeha said. Jesse smiled at the girl. She was like a little sister to him. 

“Thanks, Fareeha,” Jesse smiled brightly. He bounced the young girl on his knee as she laughed. He’d stop on occasion to share his slice of birthday cake with her, however. Some of the other boys at the table snickered at the sight, but were soon met with death glares from Gabriel and the others. 

The rest of the party went smooth as could be. That is until towards the end of the party when Ana got a call on her mobile. She was watching her daughter happily join Jesse and the other children in a game of tag when she heard the ringer. The expression on her face dropped when she saw who was calling. The rest of the Strike Force followed suit when she answered and put the mobile to speaker mode. 

“Sir,” she said into the speaker. 

“Amari, are the others with you?” said the voice on the other line. 

“Yes sir,” her answers were curt and to the point. She wasn’t a woman who was fond of wasting time. 

“I need all of you back to base immediately. There was an incident.”

“No. Bullshit,” Gabriel reacted, already enraged. 

“Reyes, cool it. You’re all to report to base as soon as physically possible. That’s an order.”

“I will not. You know damn well what day it is and if you think-”

“Reyes I will not repeat myself,” the voice emphasized the ‘not’. “Get over here now.” 

Ana looked at the screen with a solemn expression, but there was anger in her eyes that she wouldn’t make obvious. She was just as upset as Gabriel. The rest of the group looked towards Gabriel while the darker skinned man looked back at his son. He sighed. 

“Fine,” he grumbled after looking back at the screen, murder written all over his face.

“Good.” With that, the call ended. 

“Gabe,” Jack started, but his friend and comrade was already walking towards Jesse. The team then exchanged some looks between them and came to a silent agreement. The party was over. Each of them went to the other parents to tell them that something had come up and the party was ending early. Only knowing a vague amount of what their occupation was, they parents understood and began calling out to their own children one by one.

Jesse was confused when he saw his friends beginning to leave. Gabriel crouched down by him and Fareeha. 

“Dad, I thought the party was goin’ ‘til four. Why is everybody leavin’?” Jesse asked. Fareeha just climbed onto Gabriel’s back. 

“Yeah Uncle Gabe! Why’s everybody goin’ bye-bye?” 

“Jesse, I’m so sorry. I know today is your special day, but the team has to go-”

“No!” Jesse interrupted. Gabriel was taken aback by the boy’s outburst. Even Fareeha was shocked as she tightened her grip on her ‘Uncle Gabe’. “You always have to leave! It’s my birthday and you’re still going away? This isn’t fair!”

“Jesse, I know it isn’t fair, trust me, I’d much rather stay here, but I have my orders.”

“Does that mean Mama has to go too?” Fareeha squeaked. Gabriel turned his head to look at the little girl. 

“I’m sorry sweetheart, but she has to go too.” Tear began welling up in the little girl’s eyes. 

“Why do you guys have to go? Why can’t anyone else go? You’re not the only ones in Overwatch!” Jesse was yelling now, hot tears fell from his eyes and his face turned red. “It ain’t fair…” he sniffled. 

“I know, mijo. I know…” Gabriel frowned as he hugged Jesse. The boy cried his little heart out as his father picked him up and carried him to the others, Fareeha still hanging on his back. Ana quickly took her own child from Gabriel, who started crying as well into her mother’s shoulder. Gbe could hear Fareeha softly pleading with Ana for her mother to not go. 

Once the group returned to their Humvee, Liao took the driver’s seat. He turned the vehicle on and glanced at the rearview mirror a bit sadly. In it he saw Jesse crying and Fareeha already starting to drift to sleep in her mother’s arms. He sighed and pulled away from the party venue, taking everyone back to the base.

The drive wasn’t long enough for the two children. They wanted more time with their parents before they had to leave, but such was life during a war. All they could do was sit and wait for their return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Again I'm really sorry it's so short please forgive me! If you like this story please don't hesitate to leave comments and kudos. Thanks everyone!


	5. Coping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into the mission the Strikeforce had to go on. But will all of them make it back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for being patient with me and the hiatus! I'm still not where I wanna be with some of the chapters, but I'll do my best to update every other week! I hope you guys like this next chapter!

Jesse resented that his father had chosen to go on the mission instead of stay and celebrate his birthday. The young boy stood in the entrance to the base holding Fareeha’s hand as the dust from the vehicle’s tires settled. The Humvee was just a speck in the distance now and the guard assigned for babysitting ushered the children back inside. Jesse turned to look behind him, a part of him hoping that the Humvee would turn around and Gabriel would be there, but the speck was gone and Jesse only hoped he hadn’t said his last goodbye to his father. 

Instead of following Fareeha and the guard to the commissary, Jesse made his way to his and Gabriel’s living quarters. When he walked in he saw the familiar set up of their room. He was older now so they had rearranged it when he was nine. Jesse’s bed was now at the far wall with a big sheet curtain separating his area from Gabriel’s, which was much closer to the door. Their Dining table was now on the opposite wall of where the beds were along with a microwave, a mini fridge, and a coffee maker. In the middle of the room, the young boy found his presents from the party, all still wrapped since he didn’t get a chance to open them. 

Sighing, the ten-year old walked towards the pile of presents and sorted through them silently. He separated them into four categories. Bags from Family (aka the Strike Force since they basically were family to him), wrapped boxes from family, bags from friends, and wrapped boxes from friends. There were one or two singular cards, but he just added them to the box piles. Once that was done, he began to open them one by one. The cards had gift cards that Jesse knew he’d never use, so he just set them to the side. Collectively from the two Friends piles Jesse had received three toy pistols that would shoot foam darts, a puzzle with pink horses on it (did this person even try?), and a cow print blanket. Of his friends’ presents, he liked the blanket the best. He definitely wasn’t sure why one of his friends got him Pink Pony Paradise 150 Piece puzzle, but he figured that their parents bought it and thought Jesse was a girl. 

Jesse shrugged. He’d just make the puzzle with Fareeha. He placed the wrappings in the trash, but folded the bags and put them under his bed. You never knew when you’d need a birthday bag. Jesse Looked at the Family piles. It felt wrong almost to open them when everyone was on a mission. Well, there was one he would open right away. In blue crayon was his name on an envelope. He recognized the handwriting as Fareeha’s and smiled a little. She was still learning to read and write, so seeing that she had done thing made his heart happy. He carefully opened the envelope and pulled out an obviously homemade card. Fareeha had drawn her and Jesse on what the boy assumed were horses, but they could have also been dogs or hippos. On the bottom was her attempt to writing Happy Birthday, which came out as “Hapy Birtfhdae”. Jesse smiled and went to go tape the drawing to the wall by his bed. He’d have to thank the younger girl later. At that moment, all he wanted to do was sleep. So the young Cowboy took his cowskin patterned blanket, wiggled himself into Gabriel’s bed, and fell asleep. 

While Jesse was wrapped up in the warmth of Gabriel’s bed, the Overwatch Strike Force was on their way to the site of an incident with the local Omnics. Liao was in the passenger seat this time while Jack drove. Gabriel sat in the middle row with Torbjorn on the other side, Ana and Reinhardt in the back seat. Normally the group was talkative on the drive to their missions, but this was different. Before they left they were briefed that a few omnic had acted as suicide bombers. 

“We know you feel terrible, Gabriel, but you can make it up to him when we get back,” Ana said from the back. The dark skinned man shook his head. 

“No, I can’t Ana. I’ve had him for four years and I’ve missed or had to leave early three birthdays and a christmas,” he lamented. “A boy of his age and what he’s gone through beforehand should have some security in his life. This,” he gestured vaguely. “Isn’t what he needs. Maybe I shouldn’t have picked him up. He’d sure as hell be better off without me as a father.” 

“Nonsense Reyes. You are doing your best to raise him and no parent is perfect,” Reinhardt chimed in. 

“Aye! I mean, look at me. I’ve got a whole clan of children and I’m not perfect. I’m just glad my wife is a great mother. You and Ana are single parents who are fighting a war. Jesse will understand. Trust me,” Torbjorn added. Gabriel just nodded. He didn’t really think he was a good father at this point after missing so many birthdays. He knew he was a good soldier, but that was hardly a consolation. After a moment, Gabriel shook the guilt out of his mind. Not because he didn’t feel it, but because there was a mission and lives were at stake. If he made even one wrong move, they would all surely be killed. 

“We are almost there,” said Liao. They were about a mile away from where they were headed when Liao pulled over and parked the vehicle. The group didn’t hesitate to pile out of the Humvee when the engine stopped. 

Equipped with their gear, the Strike Force began the trek to the destroyed city. As they got closer, Gabriel began thinking of the best way to carry out the mission. He could see the city well enough, a few specks moving around. People? Omnics? He couldn’t tell at the distance. 

Once they entered the city, the group of soldiers hid behind a building. Gabriel spoke first.   
“Alright, Ana, I want you stationed up on the second tallest building and Torbjorn, I want you with her setting up a turret. Don’t hit civilians. Liao, you’re with Jack. Take the west part of the city. Reinhardt and I will take east.”

The group nodded in mutual agreement and quickly made their way to where they were needed. Once Ana and Torbjorn were in place was when it got interesting. Enemy omnics were already on the roof, but luckily Ana had been locked and loaded since the first floor. Five against two wasn’t exactly an even match, but the two Overwatch agents were more than capable of taking them out on their own. 

While the Egyptian woman was a sniper, she still made quick work of the enemies at close range while her partner went a little crazy shooting the omnics Ana left him. She wanted to laugh at how the short man looked when in combat, but knew that they were in a serious situation and decided against it. Once the Omnics were down, she found herself a perch that was easily concealed but also allowed her to see everything. Behind her, Torbjorn set up his turret. 

Within twenty minutes, Torbjorn had finished and Ana could finally take a moment to relax at her post. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening when she kept an eye on the duos on the ground. 

“It never gets easier,” Torbjorn suddenly announced. 

“What will?”

“Having to leave yer kids for a mission. Especially on special days,” he explained. “I hate leaving Ingrid to care for them on her own, but we’ve all got jobs to do. It’s harder on Jesse and Fareeha seeing as they both only have one of ya. But you just gotta remember that they’ll understand it all when they’re older. So long as we do our jobs right, they’ll be safe and turn out okay.”

“While I agree with your wisdom, I believe there’s a lot more pressure on Gabriel than I to be there for Jesse. Remember what he told us when we first met Jesse?” Ana said. 

“His mother died before he could even walk and his grandparents died before he even got through elementary school.

 

“Exactly. Gabe wants to be able to be there for his son more so because of how his life has been.You heard what he said on the way here. While I agree a more stable life style would be better for Jesse, I don’t think anyone could be a better father to him than Gabriel.”

“Aye.”

That’s when both of them heard Jack’s voice in their ears. 

“Are you both in position yet?”

“Yes, we’ve just finished setting up,” Torbjorn responded after pressing a finger to his earpiece. With that, the talk of parenting ceased and the pair on the rooftop silenced. Ana watching the others through her scope and Torbjorn using a visor. It wasn’t long before they had to switch to Night Vision.   
***  
“Reyes, don’t look so glum. Young McCree will understand. He’s a good kid,” Reinhardt said quietly as he and Gabriel were making their way through the city.

“Not now, Reinhardt,” Gabriel grumbled. He really didn’t want to dwell on what had happened earlier that day. He didn’t want to think about the sadness and disappointment in Jesse’s eyes as they said goodbye. And he definitely didn’t want to remember seeing his son tear up when he left. All the soldier wanted to think about at that moment was the mission. The elder of the two let out a sigh. 

“One day, Reyes, you’ll learn not to bottle everything up.” It didn’t need a response. Instead the two hurried down alleyways, dipping in and out, helping any humans they could find that were hurt. Ana was better suited for first aid, but they all had at least a basic knowledge of what to do with the things they saw. Luckily no one was too badly injured for them to need more. Though, there were those who were unlucky enough to have not made it at all. 

They were just about to round the corner when Ana suddenly spoke up in the ear piece. 

“Gabriel, Reinhardt stop!” 

And then, there was a bang.


End file.
